The actual beginning of the history of Magadha is with the Haryanka dynasty, before this the history is not very clear or what is there also does not seem very authentic.
Rulers of Haryanka dynasty
Bimbisara (544 BC 492 BC)
Bimbisara founded the Haryanka dynasty. He is considered the real founder of Magadha. His father's name was Bhattiya who was a common feudal lord. Bhattiya sat his son Bimbisara on the rule of Magadha at the young age of 15 (544 BC). In Jain literature Bimbisara has been called Shrenika. It was probably his surname.
State extension
Bimbisara was an ambitious and imperialist ruler. He first strengthened his position by establishing friendship and matrimonial relations with neighbouring states and then expanded the kingdom by conquering the state.
Friendship Relations
The first task of Bimbisara was to make friends with the rulers of Avanti and Gandhara. With his efforts, he established friendly relations with both of them by making agreement between King Pradyot of Avanti and King Pushkarsarin of Gandhara. When King Pradyot was suffering from jaundice disease , he sent his famous physician, Jivak, to treat him. On the other hand he welcomed the delegation sent by the Gandhara king Pushkarsarin.
Matrimonial relationship
Like European kings Hapsburg and Bourbon, Bimbisara also established matrimonial relations with the then dynasties. This policy of his was very successful. The states with which Bimbisara established matrimonial relations became friends of Magadha. Along with this, Magadha also benefited from new areas and wealth. His first queen was Mahakoshala (Kosala Devi), sister of King Prasenjit of Kosala.
Mahakoshala brought Kashi with him in dowry, from which land revenue of 1 lakh currency was received annually. His second queen Chellana was the sister of the Lichchavi chief Chetaka of Vajji. The third queen Vasvati was the princess of Videha. The fourth queen, Ksema was the daughter of Shakal (North Punjab) king. Kshema was the chief queen of Bimbisara. Thus, Bimbisara tied in the knot with the princesses of the four major kingdoms of his time.
Anga victory
The kingdom of Anga, located in the east of Magadha, was a powerful kingdom. So Bimbisara planned to conquer Anga. For this, a strong army was organized. He attacked Anga and defeated the king Brahmadatta there and killed him. His kingdom was merged with Magadha and made his son Ajatashatru the vice-king of the new region. Anga was a very prosperous state and its capital was Champanagari. There was a famous port on the bank of the Ganga from where ships used to go through the waterway towards South India. From there these ships used to return with spices and gems. Due to which Magadha became a wealthy nation. In the words of Hem Chandra (HC) Raychaudhuri: "The Anga conquest of Bimbisara marked the beginning of the period of conquest and expansion of Magadha which ended with the laying down of the sword by Ashoka after the conquest of Kalinga." According to 'Mahavagga', there were 80,000 villages in the kingdom of Bimbisara and the extent of the entire state was extended up to 300 yojanas i.e. 1700 square miles.
Administration of Bimbisara
Central administration
Bimbisara laid the foundation of a strong governance system in Magadha for the first time. He kept a tight control over his officers. These high officials were divided into several classes- 'Sarvadhyak Mahamatra' (chief officer of general administration), 'Senanayak Mahamatra' (commander), 'Practical Mahamatra' (Judicial Officer), ' Production Mahamatra' (Production and Tax Recovery Officer) etc. Bimbisara was called Seniya i.e. one who had his own army. He was the first king to have a standing army.
Regional administration
For administrative convenience, the state was divided into 'mandals' (provinces) and mandals into 'gramas' (villages). The head of the Mandal was called 'Mandalik'. This post was reserved for the princes. The head of the village was called 'Gramik' or 'Bhojak'. Bimbisara was in direct contact with the smallest unit of administration i.e. the village. On the one hand he used to tour the whole state to know the condition of the state and on the other hand he had allowed the gramikas (village chiefs) to meet the king directly, because he wanted to know what his subjects wanted. He called a huge assembly of his 80,000 village's village chief.
Religious policy of Bimbisara
The religious policy of Bimbisara was liberal. He respected all religions. As a result, different religions considered him to be of their own religion.
Bimbisara was a friend and patron of Mahatma Buddha. It is known from the 'Vinayapitaka' that after meeting Buddha he converted to Buddhism and as a symbol of goodwill he donated the famous Banswadi (Karanda-Venu-Vana) to oragnisation.
On the other hand the 'Uttaradhyayana Sutra' and other Jain texts consider him to be a follower of Mahavira. According to the 'Uttaradhyayana Sutra', Bimbisara went to Mahavir Swami with great reverence and respect and became a Jain believer along with his queens, servants and relatives. Bimbisara was also tolerant towards Brahmins etc. religions. He donated all the income there to the famous Brahmin Sondand of Champa.
Miscellaneous work by Bimbisara
Bimbisara took many steps for the welfare of the subjects. He paid special attention to improving the means of transport. Roads were built. Constructed canals, reservoirs and wells. Bimbisara patronized art and learning. The chief physician of the state was Jivaka. He got his education in Taxila. According to Hiuen Tsang, Bimbisara founded a new city called Rajagriha after the old capital was destroyed in the fire and made it the capital. The buildings of Rajgriha were built by the famous architect Mahagovind.
Last Time of Bimbisara
According to Buddhist texts, Bimbisara's last days were spent in great sorrow. Impatient with his long reign (52 years), his most beloved but ambitious son Ajatashatru put him in a prison where he was put to death by horribly torture.
Whereas, according to Jain texts, Bimbisara committed suicide by consuming poison to avoid further harassment at the hands of his son Ajatashatru.
Ajatashatru (Kunika): 492 BC-460 BC
After Bimbisara, his son Ajatashatru became the king of Magadha (492 BC). He was also known as Kunik and Ashok Chand. It is very interesting that in the 'Aupaptiya Sutra' he is called 'Devanampiyya'.
The texts of Buddhist tradition consider Ajatashatru to be Patricide (One who killed his father for the throne). Whereas the texts of Jain tradition do not consider Ajatashatru to be a Patricide. The more popular belief is that Ajatashatru was a Patricide.
According to Buddhist texts, Ajatashatru had imprisoned his father and starved him to death. It is believed that he did this at the instigation of his cousin Devadatta, who became a rival of Buddha over the leadership of the Sangha. He did this after Bimbisara abdicated the throne in favor of Ajatashatru. He confessed his guilt to Mahatma Buddha and said that "I have killed my pious father for the sake of the kingdom." The Buddha, impressed by his guilt, told him: "Go, but do not sin any longer." Ajatashatru's meeting with Buddha is described in the stone sculptures of Bharhut built in the second century AD. According to Jain texts, Bimbisara committed suicide by consuming poison to avoid further torture at the hands of his son Ajatashatru. In other words, Bimbisara was suicidal.
Ajatashatru was as ambitious as his father, so he adopted an expansionist policy from the very beginning. In the words of Hemachandra Raychaudhuri: "Like Frederick II of Prussia, Ajatashatru followed the policy of his father, though his relations with his father were never good. His rule was the climax of the Haryanka dynasty."
Military operation of Ajatashatru
Ajatashatru made arrangements for the security of the capital and the state before starting the military campaign. For this purpose he fortified the capital Rajgriha. New boundary wall of Rajgriha was built. A fort was built at Patligram at the confluence of Ganga and Son rivers, away from Rajgriha. After strengthening his internal position, Ajatashatru started a military campaign.
Conflict, Treaty and Merger with Kosala
Ajatashatru first had to fight with the Kosala kingdom. The reason for this conflict was the stoppage of Kashi's revenue. The way Bimbisara died, his wife Mahakoshala (Koshala Devi) was so traumatized that she also died from this grief. The Kosala king Prasenjit was upset by the murder of his brother-in-law Bimbisara and the death of his sister Mahakoshala. He thought it unfair to give Kashi's revenue to Patricide Ajatashatru and got it closed. Enraged, Ajatashatru attacked Kosala. There was a long war between Kosala and Magadha, but eventually a treaty was signed between the two sides. Prasenjit again returned Ajatashatru with Kashi revenue. Along with this, he also married his daughter Vajira with Magadhraj Ajatashatru. As a result, both the states became friends of each other.
Prasenjit died within three years of the treaty. Virudhaka, son of Prasenjit, could not enjoy the pleasure of the throne of Kosala for more days. Due to sudden flood in Rapti river, Virudhaka along with army drowned in the river. Ajatashatru had annexed Kosala in his kingdom being brother-in-law of Virudhak, being nephew and son-in-law of Prasenjit.
Vaishali's merger (468 BC)
The second important task of Ajatashatru was the merger of Vaishali with Magadha.
The reasons for the war between Magadha and Vaishali were as follows
(i) According to Jain literature, before his death, Bimbisara gave his famous elephant Seyanga (Sechanak) and 18-stringed necklace to the sons Halla and Behalla, born of his wife Chellana. After becoming the king, Ajatashatru demanded both these things on the instigation of his queen Puma Bai (Padmavati). Instead of returning these, both the brothers fled to Vaishali to their maternal grandfather Chetak. So, enraged, Ajatashatru attacked Chetak.
(ii) Another reason for the war is given in the Buddhist text 'Sumangal Vilasini' (Commentary on Didhyanikaya, Buddhaghosa). According to it, there was a diamond mine at the bottom of a hill near the port of river Ganges. In this regard, there was an agreement between Ajatashatru and the Lichchhavis of Vaishali that the diamonds would be divided half-and-half. After the Lichchhavis violated the agreement, Ajatashatru attacked them.
(iii) The real cause of the war was that an imperialist ruler was not ready to accept the existence of any other powerful state in his neighbourhood, out of fear or jealousy. It is known from the Buddhist text 'Mahaparinibbana Sutta' that at the time when Mahatma Buddha was in Rajagriha, Ajatashatru was preparing for the Vaishali conquest. Ajatashatru said: "I will annihilate the Vajjis, however strong and mighty they may be. I will destroy these Vajjis, I will destroy them." He had also conveyed his determination to Mahatma Buddha.
The Lichchavi group was very powerful at that time and they had a prominent place in the Vajji Sangha. Vaishali king Chetak called the meeting of Vajji Sangh and decided to fight with everyone's opinion. Thus it seemed to Ajatashatru that it would not be easy to defeat the Lichchhavis. Taking recourse to diplomacy, he sent two of his ministers Vasskar (Vatsakar) and Sunidh to divide the organized power of the Lichchhavis. After three years of tireless efforts, he created a split among the Lichchhavis. Ajatashatru made Patligram, located on the border of his kingdom, the center of the war, for that a strong fort was built there. After that he attacked Vaishali. On the other hand, the Vajji Sangh was supported by many anti Magadha states. In the words of Hemachandra Raychaudhuri, "The war between Magadha and Vajji was not an event of a solitary war, but a symbol of an ongoing movement against the growing influence of Magadha. Just as Samnites, Etruscans and Gauls had to struggle against the influence of Rome, similarly hazy smoke against Magadha also took the form of flames of war".
The war between Magadha and Vaishali continued for about 16 years (484 BC-468 BC). Magadha's victory in this war was due to two new instruments of war- Rathamusal (a chariot without a horse and charioteer, on which a huge mace was tied, by which the enemy soldiers were badly injured) and second was Mahashilakantaka (large stones throwing device). Along with the Lichchhavis, the suzerainty of Magadha was established over the defeated kingdoms like Videha, Malla etc. With the merger of the Malla Empire with Magadha, the extent of Magadha was extended north to the foothills of the Himalayas.
Vigilance against Avanti
When Ajatashatru was entangled in war with the Lichchhavis, Avanti planned an attack on Magadha. Ajatashatru came to know about this. According to the Buddhist text 'Majjim Nikaya', Ajatashatru built a new fortification in Rajgir to protect it from a possible invasion of Avanti. Avanti King Pradyot's plan to attack Magadha proved to be only on paper, as he could never attack Magadha. Ajatashatru increased the extent of Magadha Empire with his might and diplomacy and strengthened it. In the words of Ghosh: "The reign of Ajatashatru was at the peak of power in the Bimbisara clan." In the words of Hemachandra Raychaudhuri: "His (Ajatashatru's) rule was the peak of the Haryanka dynasty."
Religious policy of Ajatashatru
Ajatashatru was as liberal in religious matters as his father Bimbisara. He respected all religions. He was first influenced by Jainism, but later he was greatly influenced by Buddhism. He became a complete devotee of Mahatma Buddha. When in 483 BC in Kushinagar When Maha Parinirvana of Mahatma Buddha took place, Ajatashatru built a stupa on his remains in Rajgriha.
After the Maha Parinirvana of Mahatma Buddha, the first Buddhist council was held in the Saptaparni cave of Rajagriha in the same year. The patron of this great Buddhist council was the ruler Ajatashatru.
During the reign of Ajatashatru, the three great religious leaders of that era, Mahatma Buddha (Buddhism), Mahavir Swami (Jainism) and Maskariputra Gosala (Ajivaka Religion) attained Nirvana.
At the end of his life, Ajatashatru had to atone for his Patricide (offence to kill own father). He too was killed in the conspiracy of his son Udayin.
Udayin (Udayibhadra): 460 BC. 440 BC
According to Buddhist texts, Ajatashatru's son was Udayin (Udayibhadra). He killed his father Ajatashatru and captured the throne of Magadha. On the contrary, in 'Gargi Samhita' Udayin is addressed with the word Dharmatma. In this regard the historian V.A. Smith wrote: "Religious historians tried to humiliate to other religions by making all kinds of false accusations." Since Udayin was a follower of Jainism so Buddhist texts have described him as a Patricide. Udayin was Champa chief at the time of Ajatashatru's death.
Transference of capital Rajgriha to Pataliputra (457. BC)
In the fourth year of his reign (457 BC), Udayin founded the city of Pataliputra (Kusumpur) at the confluence of the Ganges and Son (Hiranyavah) rivers. This place was chosen because of its central location, as it was situated in the center of the Magadha Empire. Thereafter Udayin made Pataliputra the capital. Soon it emerged as an important city.
War with avanti
After the merger of Anga, Kosala and Vajji into the Magadha kingdom, only Avanti remained as Magadha's rival. As a result, there was bound to be competition and enmity between the two states. There was a war between Magadha and Avanti, but it did not yield any decisive result.
Successors of Udayin: 440 BC - 412 BC
After Udayin, Anuruddha, Munda and Nagdasaka became the rulers of Magadha respectively.
They were weakest rulers of the Magadha Empire. As a result, the pace of development of Magadha was stopped during his time. Eventually a person named Shishunaga was made the king who founded the Shishunaga dynasty.
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